Vanity case



June 24, 1930. I JOHNSON 1,765,726

wmnw CASE Filed Sept. 19, 1927 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 24, 1930 FRITZR. JOHNSON, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE: ISLANDPATIENT OFFICE VANITY CASE Application filed September 19, 1927. SerialNo. 220,377.

In the development of the vanity case as an article of personaladornment as well as a convenient toilet accessory, and particularly inthe development of the so-called watch case or thin-edge type of vanitycase, the hinge as the important service element of the Vanity case, hasbeen the subject of much experimentation, and various expedients havebeen devised in the effort to provide a form of 10 hinge and hingemounting which would possess sufiicient strength to withstand the strainof repeated opening and closing without however sacrificing anything ofcompactness and attractiveness. That is to say, the

1 problem has been to provide a sturdy hinge mounting which, however,would not require a corresponding sturdiness of case constructionandhence result in a vanity case, which on account of its size, couldnot be conveniently carried in the pocket or handbag or on account ofits appearance would not possess that daintiness necessary to its use asan article of personal adornment. I

To the end, therefore, of providing a commercially practicable'vanitycase which will solve the foregoing problem, I have devised my presentinvention. According to it, the casing forming members are of the usualconcavo-convex type, but instead of attempting to hingedly connect thesemembers directly to each other, as is nowusually done, I form the hingeconnection not only as a distinct and separate connection but one whichcar ries out the watch case type efieot, and in fact constitutes theknife like edge or bead of the I case. Functionally, therefore, my novelI hinge connection is at once both a hinge and a knife-edge beading forthe case. Structurally, it takes the form of a channeled ring which 40is so shaped as to permit it to be rolled over I upon the bottom formingmember of the case and to present at once both a sharply-definedrelatively thin edge or bearing extending H about the periphery of saidbottom member and a mounting for one part of the hinge element,permitting such part to be assembled on said bottom member without thenecessity of soldering or otherwise fastening it directly to the bottommember itself. In

'50 other words, the hinge mounting ring carries one of the hinge partsand is itself rolled over the periphery of the bottom member of thecase. This provides a strong and serviceable hinge connection which ispractically free of all liability of becoming sprung, and: admits ofbetter gauge stock being used in the construction of the casing formingmembers themselves, thus resulting in a sturdier case.

In addition to these advantages, my case also involves certain featuresof merit in respect to the manufacture and assembly thereof and to theornamental aspects, as will appear more fully hereinafter. Asillustrative of the principles involved,.I shall describe and show inthe'accompanying specification and drawings a form of case which I havefound satisfactory in actual use and well adapted to the requirements ofmanufacture. This showing, however, is illustrativerath'er thanlimiting, as I recognize that various modifications in the actualstructure illu trated are possible and may be desirable according tocircumstances.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a top view of a vanity case inaccordance with my invention,showing the case closed.

Fig. 2 is an edge View of such closed case.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the hinge mounting ring removedfrom the bottom-forming member of the case.

' Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hinge itself, removed.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section thr ugh the case.

Fig. 6 is a detail View of the case ornament, shown in Fig. 1, removed.-

.; Fig.7 is an edge View of the case, partly opened, to expose theinterior thereof and Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section through therim of the case when closed.

The case comprises a cover member 1 and a bottom member 2. Thesemembers, when shaped to form, are concavo-convexin section and may bemade of sheet stock. The cover member is of less diameter than thebottommemberand swings down thereover and has a snap fit at its edgetherewith. This member is provided with a substantially vertically disposed annular rim or flange 3 and with a horizontally extending fingernail operating portion 4.

The two members are hingedly connected to each other by a special formof hinge and hinge mounting. As here shown, such connection comprises achanneled hinge ring (detailed in Fig. 3) which is shaped to permit itto be rolled over the edge of the bottom member 2, said edge beingslightly shouldered as indicated at 5 (Fig.8) to receive the'downwardouter edge 6 of said ring.

Prior to assembly on the bottom member 2,

the hinge ring, in section, presents an inner substantially verticallydisposed wall 7 an nularly shouldered as at 8 and connected by thesubstantially horizontally disposed wall or web 9 with the downturnedouter edge 6, (see Fig. 8) the portions 6 and 9 at their juncturepresenting the knife edge 10.

When rolled over the edge of the bottom forming member 2 of the case,however, the hinge ring is slightly deformed, in that the wall 7 isforced into an upwardly and inward- .ly inclining position. and the wall9 into a downwardly and outwardly inclining posi-.

side of the bottom member 3. This disposesthe inner wall 7 of the ringin proper position to frictionally receivethe depending annular flange 3of the cover member when said cover member is swung over upon the bottommemher, the portions 3 against one another efiective to hold them closedagainst anything but an intentional separating pressure. If desired,this inter locking engagement may be augmented by providing the portion3 with'slight recesses 3 and the portion 7'with slight'protuberances 7or vice versa, adapted to interengage with each other when the case isclosed (see Fig. 8)

The sharply defined outer edge of the hinge ring therefore constitutesboth a thin or watch-case type edge 1.0 and a strengthening andreinforcing beading for the rim of the bottom member. The web orconnecting portion 9 of the ring is utilized as the mounting oranchoring portionforone ofthe parts of the two-part hinge, here shown'as the leaf 11. This'leaf is inserted through a vertical slot-12 (Fig.3) in said web 9, and is anchored thereto by means of the upturnedflange 13. The other leaf of the hinge is indicated at 14 and isanchored over the adj acent'edge portion of the cover member, as bymeans of the and 7 having a snap fit flanges 15 which are insertedthrough suitable slots formed in the cover member and clinched therein,as appears in Fig. 1. Both leaves are formed with the usual rolledpintle sockets to receive the pintle 16. I

By this construction of hinge and hinge mounting, I not only obtain astrong and reliable hinge connection but the hinge ring itselfconstitutes a relatively thin beading for the edge of the bottom member2 in addition to itsfunctionas the independent hinge carrying member ofthe case.

The bottom member may carry the usual retainer for. powder or rougecompact, and the cover member may carry the usual mirror 17 ,withappropriate backings as at 18 and 19 and retaining bezel 20. 9

One or both of the casing members may be ornamentally' embellished inany suitable manner, as bythe ornament 21 which is here shown as appliedto the outer face of the cover 1. This ornament may be of any shape,size or color, and as here shown is a simple stamping of conventionalheart design col- 'ored in contrast to the material of the case proper.It is applied to the case as a separate and independent piece, the coverbeing slightly depressed as shown at 22 (Fig. 5) to receive it and toallow it to lie substantially flush therewith Preferably the cover ispierced adjacent said depression by one or more slots adapted to receivedepending tongues or prongs 23 formed'on the inner side of the ornamentand which prongs,

when inserted through said ;slots, and

clinched over on the inner face of the cover member,'serve to fasten theornamental piece on the cover. 7

Various modifications in the construction of my invention may obviouslybe resorted to if within the limits of the appended claim. 7

\Vhat I therefore claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is Ahinged container comprising ooncavoconvex top and bottom casing membersproportioned to overlie one another'when the container is closed, asingle annular hinge ring affixed to said bottom member and presentingan inner wall against which the edge of the top member isadaptedto abutwhen the container is closed, said wall'extending outwardly of thecontainer as a downwardly and outwardly inclined, portion. following thegeneral curvature of the top member and substantially co-planartherewith and terminating'at the edge of the bottom-member in a sharplybent downwardly: and rearwardly inclined attaching portion'overlaplpingsaid bottom member, and ahinge disposed interiorly of said container andan chored to sald rmg and to said top member respectiv y 'R JOHNSON

